I'd appreciate it if you could help me
Overseas, in addition to refrigerated milk, there's milk known as long-life milk that's sold at room temperature. This type of milk is predominant in Europe, the United States, and even in countries like China and Brazil. It's primarily sold in large plastic bottles or in paper packs coated with aluminum. For us Japanese, accustomed to refrigerated carton milk, the idea of "room temperature" milk might seem odd, prompting thoughts like "It might contain additives" or "It might taste bad." However, a closer look reveals intriguing facts.
Milk sterilization can be broadly classified into three methods, with each category further subdivided:
Within this category, there are two methods:
The UHT method is used for about 90% of the milk sold in Japan.
The Long Life (LL) method, as the name suggests, is used for long-life milk. These milks don't contain additives, so there's no need for concern. Once opened, like all milk, it needs to be refrigerated and consumed promptly. The taste and flavor might be different than what Japanese people are used to due to the high-temperature sterilization. However, long-life milk has the advantage of being transportable at room temperature, reducing shipping costs.
Why is long-life milk popular in many countries, but not in Japan? Although credible reasons are hard to come by, it seems that in Japan, refrigerated equals fresh, making it difficult for LL milk to gain traction.
